Day: December 28, 2013

A really wonderful audio clip has come to light recently, of Tom Radley who owned and ran the Forge in the corner of the Square, Millstreet until the 1980s.

It contains his nephew Seán Radley interviewing Tom Jack back in the 1970s, and this short audio recording gives a taste of life in a forge. The Millstreet accent is strong and rich in this one.

Click here to listen to the recording.

Pictured right is a photo taken outside the Forge in the Square, Millstreet back in the 1970s, where blacksmith Tom Radley had just completed placing four shoes on Dan Hallissey’s donkey (Dan lived in Coole/Drishanebeg).

Radleys Engineering, who built the Spire in Dublin (with John & Tommy as Directors), have their roots in this forge.

Below are three further photos of Tom in his  forge, taken in the 1980s.

Click on the photos to see them in full size and click at the very start of the black audio bar below to hear the recording while observing the pictures.

 

 

The photo of Tom & Jack outside the forge, with the audio was stumbled upon recently, when they were put online by historian John Tierney. We’d like to thank the Radley family for [read more …] “Tom Radley at his Forge in the Square”